McNair Retires

Steve McNair announced today at the Baltimore Ravens Training Facilities that after 13 seasons, his body could not take another season of pounding and that he was retiring. He was spending a lot of time at the facility trying to rehab his injured shoulder and must have finally made the decision that he announced to his teammates and then the media this afternoon. This makes the QB situation even more critical, and firmly notes that if Matt Ryan is still there at the 8th spot, they will most certainly grab him now. It looks like Kyle Boller will be the starter, unless they make it a competition between him and Troy Smith, or even bring in another veteran, such as Daunte Culpepper.

No matter who is the season opening starter, it appears that whichever QB the Ravens end up taking in the 2008 draft, will be the future of this franchise. If not Ryan in the first round, the Ravens will have other options, be it the second tier of QB's (Brohm, Flacco, Henne) or even the next level (Eric Ainge, Andre Woodson).

McNair was a warrior and certainly made an instant impact on the Ravens in 2006, leading them to a 13-3 record, AFC North Championship, although ending the season with a loss to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts. This past season, McNair was injured in the opening game and never truly recovered, having his worst season as a pro. However, he will always be known as a warrior and a team player, and will certainly merit consideration as a future Hall of Famer.